Effects of tillage on runoff and erosion patterns

• Published in: Soil & tillage research Vol. 61; no. 1; pp. 55 - 60
• Main Authors: Takken, Ingrid, Govers, Gerard, Jetten, Victor, Nachtergaele, Jeroen, Steegen, An, Poesen, Jean
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.08.2001; Elsevier
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; Cropping systems. Cultivation. Soil tillage; Erosion pattern; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agronomy. Plant production; Modeling; Oriented roughness; Runoff pattern; Soil erosion, conservation, land management and development; Soil science; Soil tillage; Tillage; Tillage. Tending. Growth control; Runoff pattern; Oriented roughness; Modeling; Tillage; Erosion pattern; Water erosion(soil); Soil tillage; Runoff; Cultivated soil; Roughness; Land slope; Model study
• ISSN: 0167-1987; 1879-3444
• DOI: 10.1016/S0167-1987(01)00178-7

Historically, research on water runoff and soil erosion has been conducted mainly at the plot scale, with slope gradient being one of the dominant controlling factors. However, tillage-induced roughness can also significantly impact runoff and erosion, and therefore runoff patterns on a field scale can be very different from the runoff pattern that would be predicted from topography alone. A model and methodology were developed to account for oriented tillage effects on runoff patterns. Results suggests that the prediction of soil erosion and deposition within a field, as well as total soil loss from a field, can be significantly improved by combining the effects of tillage-induced runoff patterns with detailed topographic data.